1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for displaying the viewing time and TV ratings based on a viewer grade and, more particularly, to a display method and a display apparatus for displaying the viewing time and TV ratings based on a viewer grade, whereby information on TV ratings and viewing time is indicated by using lamps provided in the external case of the display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
TV programs may include violence and sexuality, which are harmful to children. Accordingly, various parental control systems to block unsuitable programs or channels have been developed.
A blocking system using the V-chip or violence-chip, which blocks TV programs having nudity and violence, has been used in the United States in order to inform viewers of ratings of TV programs. The ratings are encoded by a broadcaster using a data format called the extended data service (XDS) and the vertical blanking period of a National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) TV signal, more particularly, line 21 of the second field of the TV signal. The XDS data format is similar to the closed-captioning format used in the United States, which is encoded on line 21 of the first field of the NTSC TV signal. The XDS and closed-captioning formats are standards (EIA-608) developed by the U.S. Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). A ratings signal is transmitted along with each TV program and is read by the V-chip system built in each TV set manufactured after January 2000. The V-chip system decodes the data on line 21, compares the decoded data with its permitted ratings, and decides whether to block or release the signal.
However, many children's daily lives involve a lot of TV and older children may defy their parents by manipulating the V-chip system when a TV program is forcefully blocked, a channel is changed, or an image is distorted.
As an alternative, a display, which shows a person's TV viewing history, may be shown in the application form. However, this method requires a user navigating several GUI (Graphical User Interface) steps, which is inconvenient.
Text information has several problems: it takes a long time to read it, it is difficult to read at a glance, only a viewer of the concerned TV program can recognize it, and it is not possible to continuously display it. Further, the problem associated with the viewing time is still insoluble.
Accordingly, there is a demand for a method to more naturally guide children's TV-watching. A method that allows parents to quickly grasp the TV-watching history of their child is also required.
Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1997-56839 entitled “TV Set Equipped with an Illuminating System” discloses a TV set with a built-in lighting device, whereby the lighting device stays lit for a certain period of time after the TV is turned off while a user has been watching the TV in the dark. The lighting device is activated depending upon the measured ambient brightness. However, this invention does not provide the technology to provide information on the viewing time and ratings of the TV programs watched by the user, based on a viewer grade, by changing the color of the lighting device.